Better Than Cloud Nine
by youthfulninja
Summary: Mush is completely head over heels in love with female newsie Goggles. She loves him too, but her pride always prevents her from showing it. Will she finally be able show him that she loves him back? Gush Oneshot


"So…. What is it ya wanted tah talk tuh me about Mush?" Goggles strolled over to the curly haired boy casually, one hand in her left pocket and the other in her own mass of blonde curls, pulling at a particular coil and winding it around her finger. He sat on the edge of a box in the alleyway, his hands behind his back, and looked up at her shyly as she approached, a light shade of pink spreading across his face.

"Oh, hey Goggles…. I" he paused, hopping off the box with his hands still concealed behind his back as he walked over slowly to her, partially looking away but glancing back up at her as she raised her eyebrows.

"Mush, what'd ya go and do?" Goggles smirked, crossing her arms across her chest as the grin spread wider across her face, "You's lookin pretty guilty der."

Mush removed one hand from behind his back and ran it through his curly brown hair, grinning as he shifted his weight and pretended to look up at the sky. "Aw stop it Goggles, I's trying to do somethin' here!"

"Oohhh I's see. I'll behave." Goggles cheerfully pulled a crate from a loose pile and plopped it down on the ground, then set her bottom down on it carefully and sat like a lady. Her hands rested properly in her lap while her back stayed perfectly straight, her legs together and folded at an angle. She looked up at Mush innocently, all the while a small smirk threatening to grow bigger and explode into a full out grin.

"Goggles?" Mush raised his eyebrows quizzically, his free hand pausing in midair, "What in da world are ya doing?"

She grinned with her lips pursed together, her cheeks highlighting a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I's jus sit'n. How bout' you?"

Mush paused, his face flushing a tomato red tint before he burst out into a wonderfully melodious laugh, his one free hand clutching his stomach as he almost doubled over laughing. "Aw jeez, Goggles," he wiped a tear from his eye, "Your something else, ya know that?" Mush caught his breath, grinning at Goggles as she laughed at him laughing at her. "But seriously! I can't do this with you sit'n like dat; it'll kill me!" He grinned, "Could ya just stand normal? Please?"

"Aw, fine," Goggles stood up, smirking as she shoved a hand in her pocket and wiped dust off her pants with the other. "But what's all dis about "doin' dis" an "doin' dat?" If you's needs tah say something, jus' spill da beans already!"

Mush sighed in defeat, but he couldn't help but smile. He could never predict what would come out of her mouth next. Sometimes he wished he could be so direct and just blurt out what was on his mind like she did.

He looked up at the blonde newsie as he drew a deep breath. "Here," Mush pulled out a huge bouquet of sunset colored wildflowers from behind his back, "These are for you." The bouquet was so big it blocked his face as it turned a deep shade of scarlet as he handed them Goggles, their hands brushing as she took them.

"W-whoa." Goggles stuttered, the huge mass of flowers blocking her face as her voice knocked down at least one whole decibel, "Thank you."

Mush glanced down at the ground blushing, scratching the nape of his neck before looking back up at her, "D-Do ya like them?"

Goggles moved the flowers away from her face and hugged them against her chest, her chin still buried in the flowers. She shook her head, and blushed even harder than when he had given them to her, her face flushing a bright crimson much to his delight. "I love them!"

The curly haired boy's heart soared. She loved them! Mush was so happy she did, he couldn't even begin to explain it. He didn't even know she had a thing for flowers, but then again she had her girly moments.

When she had first revealed she was a girl to their group of friends, Mush remembered feeling so betrayed and hurt; he thought he would never talk to her again. But once he had calmed down, and had really thought about it, he had realized that her being a girl made perfect sense.

In all the many years they had been best friends, she never had NOT been herself. He realized now that many of what he used to think were personal quirks were just her girly side showing. Even when Goggles refused to take a bath when the other guys were there and made him "stand guard" outside the door, or when the other guys were shaving she never had to shave at all, or even when she never took her goggles off ever, he had just thought she was a self-conscious person, or maybe she had scars that she wanted no one to see. No one had ever thought to question if she was a guy or not. And if anyone had, well Goggles was so goofy and tough to boot that just being in the same room as her had been enough to convince them otherwise. Other than lying about her gender, she still was the same person she always was. The person he loved.

He didn't know exactly when he had fallen for the goofy, blushing blonde newsie in front of him, but he did know why. She was funny and charming; she never, in all the years Mush had known her, had ever failed to make him laugh, and despite her boyish personality, she always managed to seem cute to him. As a girl, that is. When she was a guy she was just his best friend, but once that changed, everything he ever thought he knew about her seemed wrong. Yet it had felt so… fitting. As a guy, she had just been another brother, the weird, funny one in the group. But as a girl… She was the most interesting and wonderful girl he had ever met. Even now, she stood there _attempting_ to hide her embarrassment behind the flowers, her red face so completely obvious, yet she didn't; she had too much pride to hide her face despite not wanting anyone to see it. Never had he ever known her to blush like that, and the fact she was blushing for _him _was enough to make his heart burst.

"Mush…?" Goggles looked over at him, still clutching the enormous bouquet of flowers.

Mush blinked, snapping out of his day dream, "Yeah?"

She looked back at him expectantly. Whoops. He had been so happy he hadn't even said anything back!

"Oh! Sorry!" Mush flushed pink and dragged his heel in the dirt ground, "I'm so glad you love the flowers! I was just… uh… distracted with the fact you did." He grinned awkwardly, and glanced down at the ground before looking up to see her beaming her 200 watt grin at him. Mush was so glad she didn't wear her goggles all the time anymore; she looked so much prettier without them.

Goggles smirked, "Cloud nine, eh?" She set the huge beautiful bouquet down on the crate behind her and walked closer to him.

The female newsie leaned over and placed her hands on Mush's shoulders, pulling him closer to her. "How about," her face reddened, "I give ya something even betta'?" Goggles closed her eyes, softly planting her lips against his. Mush's eyes widened as her soft, pink lips gently kissed his face as a wave of adrenaline coursed through his body as he pulled her close. He wrapped one arm protectively around her waist, the other gently caressing her face as he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, breathing in her sweet, red apple scent. Goggles shuddered softly as he stroked her cheek, tenderly kissing him back before taking a breath and looking into his soft brown eyes.

"Yup," Mush whispered, staring into her robin's-egg blue eyes as they pressed their foreheads together gently, noses touching, blushing and locked in warm embrace, "Way better than cloud nine."

"Good." Goggles leaned her head in the crook of his neck as Mush wrapped his arms around her, "Mush…?"

"Yeah?" he rested his head on her mat of golden curls.

"I's neva' kissed anyone before dis." She blushed, looking away.

Mush grinned, pulling her away from him to look her in the eyes, "And how was it?"

Goggles beamed and practically tackled him to the ground in a tight hug, "Betta' than cloud nine!"


End file.
